The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-11-11
TRAGEDIES OF NIAGARA.
DEATH or CHARLES ADDINGToN
AND EVA u FORREST.

Victim in 1854 Man Who Eas q
Dread ofa Similar Fate for Himself
Harrisburg (Pa.l letter in Ne,o York Sun.
II am going Ia Niagara Falls said a
passenger on Pennsylvania railroad train
from Philadelphia yesterday, land il you
read in the papers in day or so that some
person, known or unknown, has been car.
lied over the falls, you may be sure that
have reached my destination No; it won't
he me--not if | can help it. But / have
never been to Niagara yet that some one
did not go over the falls, either inten-
tionally or accidentally, and nothing but
a positive and important business engage
ment, such as compels me TO 90 there now.
could induce me TO visit the spot which is
associated in my mind with three terrible
tragedies. | was a Mortified spectator of
Two most heart-rending Niagara tragedies,
and on my third visit to the falls the other
was enacted. | have been for six weeks
trying to avoid this fourth trip, for my
recollections of Niagara are sufficiently un-
pleasant without having fourth one to be
r perpetual shudder to me-
My first visit to Niagara was in the
summer of 1858, and / had been there not
more than an hour when witnessed the
agonizing scene of young man and a beau
tiful fair-hairad child swept away by the
swift current of Goat Island and dashed
over the falls The young man was Charles
Arlington, and the child was little Eva De
Forrest. The Addingtons and De FORESTS
were prominent Buffalo families Young
Charles Addington was engaged to be mar
ried to Ada De Forrest The day that
raid my first visit to Niagara Mrs De For
rest, Ada and her little sister Eva and
Young Arlington had come from Buffalo
for days outing at the falls. They pic
nicked on Goat Island, and little Eva having
strayed away from the group her mother
sent young Arlington to find her and fetch
her back He discovered her not far away
standing on the shore, locking at the swift
water. Thoughtlessly stealing up behind
her, he grasped the child under the arms
and, lifting her up, held her out over the
water. She threw up her arms and slipped
from his hands into the river. Arlington
sprang in and caught her before she had
been carried into the swift water He sue
ceeded, after desperate struggle, in get
ting back near enough to the shore to throw
the child on the bank. She had not suffi-
Gent strength to hold on until her mother
could grasp her. and pull her to a safe place,
and fell back into the current. Arlington
again seized her, but he was too much ex-
hausted to make way against the swift wa
ter, and the two were carried into he rap
ids and disappeared together over the falls
was on Goat island and saw the whole oc-
currence.
''In the summer of 1864 | again visited
Niagara Falls. l arrived there at night,
and early next morning / walked over to
Goat Island and looking down the Ameri-
Uan rapids what should | see but a man
elinging to an old tree trunk that had lodged
at some time in the current between the
small islands off Goat Island and the Ameri-
Can shore. Before could give the alarm
the man had been discovered by others, and
the news spread rapidly. Who the man was
or how he came to be in this periIous situa-
ton no one ever knew, but it was supposed
that he had been rowing across the river
somewhere above the night before, and,
losing control of his boat, had been swept
down into the rapids, and the boat striking
the trunk, he had by some miracle gained a
toothold upon it.
AS soon as possible after the discovery
uf the man was made word was telegraphed
TO Buffalo, and party Of life savers came
on special train to the Falls to try and
rescue him. Before 10 o'clock thousands of
persons were gathered at every available
spot where sight of the unfortunate man
could be obtained. The railroads ran
special trains, and people came in convey
ances of all kinds from the surrounding
NO one SSSIll6u db nESL 10 KNOW
how TO go to work to be of aid to the mau,
but he chung to the tree, watching every
movement that was Inade--how anxiously
he watched may be imagined 1t was of
course impossible TO make him hear
anything that might be shouted to
him, and there was no way to give
him any directions. Finally a life
boat was attached to cable and let down
the rapids from the bridge toward him.
Guide ropes were tied to it, by which it was
directed toward the log by men on the shore
of the island. The plan was well calculated,
and the boat made directly for the spot
where the man was hanging between life
and death. The assembled multitude began
to feel that in few minutes the poor man
would be safely drawn ashore Suddenly the
boat was caught by swirl of the rapids
The cable parted like a weak kite string.
The boat rushed past the man like a flash,
and was carried over the falls.
This sad ending TO that effort to rescue
the man showed the life savers that there
was no hope for the man in that plan. Sew
eral others were suggested, and finally one
was adopted which it took until late in
the afternoon TO get in readiness. In all
those long hours of suspense don't believe
one of the spectators moved from his tracks.
Everything else about Niagara Falls was
forgotten except the terrible scene of fell
iow-being hanging on the verge of death
and patiently awaiting the success or fail
IRE of the efforts that were being made 10
rescue him. The plan adopted was to fasten
strong cable securely to the American
shore, attach staunch raft to it, carry the
loose end of the cable over to the island,
and let it belly down with the raft to
the tree trunk. By this means it was
hoped that the raft, after reaching the log,
and the man had crawled upon it, could he
steadily drawn to a small island between
Inc man and Goat Island, from which small
island his rescue would be easy. Some food
and glass of brandy were foated on the
raft, with a rope and written instructions
70 the man as to what was to be done and
what he must do The raft moved down
and reached the tree trunk in safety. AS
the man dropped from his perilous perch
upon the raft, dashed himself to it with the
rope according TO instructions. and then
eagerly seized the brandy and food, such
shout as went from the thousands of people
who had watched the proceedings
with beating hearts and bated breath
was never heard before. 1t could be
heard above the angry roar of Niagara. The
raft was slowly pulled toward the small
Island. Everything seemed working to
charm. The tension on the feelings of the
spectators was so great that many tainted
away. People were sobhing on every side.
Suddenly the raft stopped. The cable,
drawn as it was, beneath the water, cought
on some obstruction. All efforts to loosen
1t were unavailing One groan of agony
arose from the crrpnf crowd The lifp-SayeFS